Great Enthusiasm

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 59, 25 March 1937, Page 7

Great Enthusiasm

—Press Association.)

CIVIC FAREWELL TO MRSAVAGE

Speech Marked by Frequent Applause OFF TO CQR0NATI0N

(By Telegraph

' WELLINGTON, Last Night. With a feeling of goodwill as spontaneouo and warm as that with which thqy welcomed him twelve montEg ago when the Government assumed pffice, citizens of Wellington to-night farewelled the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) at a big gathering in the Town Hall, on the eve pf his departure for London to attend the Coronation and Imperial Conference. As Mr. Savage entered the hall ,escprted by the Mayor (Mr. T. 0, A. Hislop) .the large and representative audience rose and cheered. The speeches werp marked by frequpnt applaugp and at the conclusion of his address Mr, Savage was again cheered. On behalf of the citizens of Wellington, Mr. Hislop wished the Prime Minister a pleasant voyage, success tp the deliberations in which he would ,take part and a speedy return. The Prime Minister, replying, returned thanks.for the warm reception ao1 corded him and said during his absenoe I abroad his heart would be in New Zealand. He said he had no cut-and-dried ideas about anything, but his mind had not been mpuided on a bed of roses, and if when it came to a show-dqwn his actipns seemed to be directed towards helping those who were struggling with him in the days gone by he supposed that was only a human result after all. He could understand the struggles pf .the average family. He knew wfaat. they were up against and if he could make a transformation f'rpm whare they were now to where they should be tomorrow morning by a wavp of a wagie wand he would do it.

l The next best thiag he could do was I tq lay down his lifp fpr his friends. 1 That was not a very big sacrihce after all because when they were all dolng jt they were square. When they were all helping each other this world would1 be a bpttpr plaee to live in, They had talked about it for generations past, They had said it from the pulpit, from the public platform, from everywhOrei "Greater love hath no man than this that. he shall lay down his life for his friends," And then aome of them got up next morning and started tp live at the expense of their friends. It. seemed they had come to parting of the waya and they had to turn over a new ibaf. -'I am not saying we have not had some wonderfully fine trier? for (Ten|Mies past," said Mr. Savage. "All 1 am saying is that we have npt got &ny great results up to now. The great hulk of humauity struggles from the crfcdlo to the grave living from hand to mouth and with no security. They don't know what is goipg tp turn up next week,"